Latch for detachable debris receptacle



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LATCH FOR DETACHABLE DEBRIS RECEPTACLE Filed April 29. 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS I00 fdwin 0. Parker? Earl E Ste/zen- Fi.2"' BY ATTORNEY Aug. 6, 1957 E. D. PARKER ETAL 2,301,862

LATCH FOR DETACHABLE DEBRIS RECEPTACLE Filed April 29, 1954 2 sheets sheet 2 mmvroxs fdwm 0. Par/rel: Earl E. Sie/zzr ATTORNEY United States Patent LATCH FOR DETACHABLE DEBRIS RECEPTACLE Edwin D. Parker and Earl E. Stelzer, Springfield, Ohio, assignors to The Parker Sweeper Company, Springfield, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application April 29, 1954, Serial No. 426,354

1 Claim. (Cl. 280-4726) The present invention relates to sweepers and more particularly to sweepers of the type employing a rotat1ng brush, which brush in addition to sweeping, flings the debris into a receiver such as a basket.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a novel latch for a sweeper of the type having a debris receptacle and a handle supporting means attached to the receptacle, said latch being adapted to readily detach the debris receptacle from the handle.

Another object of the present invention is to provide, for a sweeper of the type described, a latch detachably connecting the debris receptacle to the sweeper with such latch being of simple construction and readily openable.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide for a sweeper a latch of the type described which latch is readily opened yet urged towards closed position upon application of forces to the latch by the sweeper structure engaged thereby.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the folowing description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein preferred forms of embodiments of the invention are clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a sweeper constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of the sweeper of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a partial, side elevational view illustrating in greater detail the lower end of the handle, the brush adjusting mechanism, and the lower receptacle to handle attaching bracket;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view illustrating one of the side plates included in the frame, the gear wheel and pinion for rotating the brush;

Fig. 5 is a partial perspective view of the upperleft receptacle to handle attaching bracket;

Fig. 6 is an end elevational view, partially in section, of the upper left receptacle to handle attaching bracket of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a side elevational View of the upper right receptacle to handle attaching bracket.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the sweeper shown includes a frame indicated generally at 10 which includes a pair of oppositely disposed side plates 11 and 12. Each of these plates is cast with a stationary axle means in the form of an insert 13, Fig. 4. A pair of spaced wheels and 16 are rotatably mounted on the axle means and disposed on opposite sides of the frame. These wheels are encased in rubber tires 17, as shown in Fig. l, which rest on the surface being cleaned.

A gear wheel 20, Fig. 4, is carried on each of the axles 13 and is covered by the wheel. The gears engage with pawls carried on the wheels 15 and 16 and are driven thereby. These pawls not shown, engage the inner teeth shown on the gears 20 and provide for driving the gears in one direction only. A pinion gear 23 engages the outer teeth shown on the gears 20 and in turn rotates the reel shaft 24 upon which a brush 25 is mounted. This brush is driven to rotate in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 2.

Top and bottom tie rods 27 and 28 are connected between the side plates in verticaly spaced positions. These rods are secured at each end with set screws in the shoulders 28a formed in the side plates. A shoulder 29, in the form of an arcuate-shaped rib, projects inwardly from each side plate. As seen in Fig. 2, the rod 27, shoulder or rib 29, and shoulder 28a are spaced vertically from one another. The intermediate shoulder 29 is spaced forwardly of the upper rod 27 and rearwardly of shoulder 28a.

The brush 25 is raised or lowered relative to the surface being cleaned by adjusting the position of the side plates with respect to the wheels about which they are free to pivot. To facilitate this adjustment the side plates are drilled, as indicated at 44, Fig. 4, so that each end of the top tie rod 27 extends through the opening 44. A square headed set screw 45, Fig. 1, retains rod 27 in place. The brush adjusting bracket 46, Fig. 3, is in the form of a casting having a slotted shank portion 47 and an elbow. This bracket is supported by the elbow which is drilled and press fitted over the outer end of the tie rod 27 projecting through the side plate. A carriage bolt and wing nut, as indicated at 49, are provided to hold the side plates in the adjusted position. Thus when the wing nut is loosened the side plates, which support the brush assembly, are free to slide up or down to the extent of the length of the slot in bracket 46.

A handle, generally indicated at 55, is provided for manipulating the sweeper. This handle is shown engaging at its lower end with the axle means 13. The lower handle section is flattened at one end and punched to provide an opening of suflicient diameter to snap over the end of the axle 13.

A bracket 51 having a curved top portion adapted to fit over the handle 55, is secured thereto by suitable means. The bottom part of the bracket projects below the handle edge and is provided with a slot 77 for receiving the forward end of the debris receptacle.

The debris receptacle 4!) is formed with a flat bottom 65 of resilient sheet metal and canvas back and side walls as indicated at 66 and 67. The canvas back and side walls are formed with hems 74 through which the receptacle frame rod 75 and 76 are received. At the bottom the canvas is folded and the outer edges of bottom 65 crimped or folded over to grip the canvas. A pair of support rods 76, Fig. 2, for the receptacle are secured to the bottom 65 near the rear edge thereof. The. upper ends of rods 70 are secured to loops 78 by screws 79. These loops are threaded onto horizontal rod portion 75 of the receptacle frame. The rods 70 are formed of resilient material and include the loop 72. Rods 70 normally urge the receptacle frame 75-76 upwardly, and sincethe handle 55 is normally fastened to the frame, as will hereinafter be described, said rods 70 normally yieldingly urge the handle upwardly. It will be noted that the debris receptacle is formed with an upwardly sloping bottom 71 which provides for sliding the debris rearwardly in the receptacle and prevents: spilling when sweeping over rough surfaces.

Debris swept up by the brush is directed against the hood 32. This hood provides for discharging the debris backward over the brush and into the receptacle. The hood 32 is formed from a thin flat piece of resilient sheet metal. The lower end of the hood is inserted under the upper tie rod 27, over shoulder 29, and under the lower shoulder 2812, as seen in Fig. 2. The retaining or abutment members 27, 233a and 29 support and form guide means frictionally holding the hood arcuately in position through the inherent resiliency of the hood. When mounted the hood is held with its forward side engaging the upper and lower members 27 and 28a and its rear side engaging the intermediate member The hood is thus slidably mounted and adjustable.

In operatiornthe sweeping unit is adjusted up or down within the bracket 46 until the brushes just touch the grass or surface to be swept. The hood 32 is then slid up or down to adjust it with respect to the surface being cleaned and then fastened in that position, and which adjustment does not substantially vary the angle of discharge of debris into the receptacle. By lowering the hood, the sweeper can be used on sidewalks and like surfaces since the sweepings from the brushes cannot be thrown forward of the sweeper.

Since the brush is carried by the side plates 11 and 12, and since the side plates are secured to the handle 55, the brush can be lowered by pushing downwardly on the handle. .Thus the brush can be readily manipulated to sweep in dales in the lawn.

, Referring to Figs. 5, 6, and 7, the means for rcmovably attaching the upper end of the debris receptacle 40 to the handle 55 is shown in detail. An S-shaped latch portion 86 is secured to the handle 55 by means of the screws 83. The latch portion 86 is formed with a flat portion 85 to which a second latch portion or keeper 95 is pivotally mounted by means of the pivot 86 and washer 88; Latch portion 80 is formed with a T-shaped open slot having an entrance 9:) which is open to receive the crossrod 75 when the latch portion 95 is in the raised position shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 7. After the rod 75 is inserted through the slot entrance 9% it will rest, in the slot portion 92. A similar slot portion 91 is provided in the latch portion 8 so that the same part design can be used for both the right and left side of the sweeper. Fig. shows the latch portion 80 adapted for use in the left side. Fig. 7 shows the latch portion 84) adapted for use on the right side of the sweeper. It will be noted that latch portion 95 is formed with a notch 98 for confining the crossrod 75 in the slot portion 92 when the latch portion 95 is in the closed position. From the preceeding description it is seen that the present invention provides a simple two piece latch construction which can be readily opened and closed for removing and attaching the debris receptacle to the sweeper handle.

When the latch is in the closed position, there is no tendency for any forces applied to the latch, by rod 75, to open the latch since the rod 75 is confined on three sides by the walls of slot 92, and on the fourth side by latch portion 95. Any force applied to latch portion 95, by the rod 75, must be the direction of the longitudinal axis of slot portions 91 and 92.. Hence such force 'will tend to force latch portion 95 toward a more tightly closed position since any such force will tend to rotate latch portion 95 about its pivotal mounting in a direction of rotation which forces the latch towards the closed position. For example, in Fig. 7, any force applied to latch portion 95, by rod 75, will tend to rotate latch portion 95 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 7. Since resilient rods 70 yieldingly urge rod 75 upwardly against the keeper 95, such resilient force, as applied, yieldingly holds the keeper in latched position.

Thus the debris receptacle can be readily attached to or detached from the sweeper frame and handle. When it is detached, the handle will be maintained in elevated position by the support 99 forming the lower part of the bracket 51. When the receptacle is in position (Fig. 2), the support 99 does not touch the ground. At this time the rear support for the sweeper is the roller 101 which is carried by brackets 100, which depend from the bottom of the sweeper.

While the form of embodiment herein shown and described constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms may be adapted falling within the scope of the claim that follows.

We claim:

A lawn sweeper comprising frame means, wheels rotatably mounted at opposite sides of said frame means, generally U-shaped handle means secured to said frame at the free end of each leg portion adjacent said wheels for manipulating the sweeper, said handle means having side portions and a connecting top hand portion, said handle means extending upwardly and rearwardly from said frame means, debris receptacle means positioned to said handle means and extending downwardly therefrom, said receptacle means including a bottom plate, an upper, horizontally extending cross rod connected to the side portions of said frame means at points below said top hand'portion, and a pair of vertical spring means, each connected at one end to said plate at a rear corner thereof with the opposite end of each operatively connected to said cross rod immediately adjacent its points of connec tion with said leg portions of said handle means and normally urging said rod upwardly, a latch element mounted on one of the side portions of said handle means adjacent the upper end thereof to receive one end of the cross rod of said receptacle means, said latch element having an open slot for receiving said cross rod, a keeper pivotally mounted on said latch element for closing said slot, said cross rod when received in the slot being en gageable with the keeper when the latter is in closed po sition, with said spring means normally urging said keeper in keeping position, said rod when received in the slot being confined in the direction of movement by the element defining said slot whereby movement thereof urges with said spring means said keeper toward the closed position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 939,068 McGrath Nov. 2, 1909 939,765 Walte Nov. 9, 1909 2,654,106 Parker Oct. 6, 19.53

FOREIGN PATENTS 483,452 Canada May 20, 1952 123,468 Sweden Nov. 30, 1948 127,880 Sweden Apr. 4, 1950 

